Baby for the Billionaire(128)

Connor nodded and closed his eyes. Hearing so sound of movement, he cracked them open. She hadn’t moved. She stood in front of him, looking every bit as drained as he felt.

“You’ll feel better after a shower.”

“Maybe.” Her hazel eyes remained fixed on him. “But right not I don’t really want to be alone.”

“Oh, Victoria!”

Her reluctant admission moved him. She was so fiercely independent. Connor knew for her to reveal any weakness at all meant she must be feeling utterly empty. Dropping his legs down, he reached forward and scooped her off her feet. She landed across his lap with a squeak, a struggling mass of arms and legs.

“I’m wet!” she wailed. “I’m going to soak you, too.”

“Shh.” He bent his head over hers. “Just relax.”

Her body softened instantly. For long minutes he held her, not speaking, not thinking, simply savoring the scent of her, the softness of her body under his soothing palm that rubbed along her back in long strokes.

At last she shifted. “I must be heavy.”

Connor almost groaned as her bottom moved in his lap. Heat shot through his spine and he fought the urge to shudder in reaction. If she’d only stayed still …

Victoria froze. Her head came up, and startled golden-green eyes met his. Connor knew she’d felt his unmistakable reaction. He waited for her to pull away. She didn’t.

“Victoria …?”

With a groan he pulled her toward him. Her parted lips met his, and he sucked in the whisper of her breath. It was a hungry kiss, full of pent-up emotion, of passion long resisted. Connor licked the soft sweetness of her bottom lip, tasting her deeply, and she wriggled closer.

His fingers found the zipper of her dress, and he broke off the kiss. The rasp of the sliding zipper cut across the sound of their ragged breathing. Connor peeled the wet fabric off her shoulders and slid the dress over her hips, down her legs, his gaze all the time holding hers, watching as a flush of passion flooded her pale cheeks.

When the dress was off, he pulled her atop him so that her bare legs straddled his hips. Her naked skin shimmered in the evening light, as pale as pearl against the seductive black satin bra and panties. Connor’s breath caught at the sheer grace of her long limbs and sweet curves.

With shaking fingers she reached forward and undid the buttons of his shirt. “Your shirt is damp, too.”

“Just a little.” He’d gotten wet holding the car door open for her.

Pulling the edges apart, she murmured, “Then it will also have to come off.”

Connor leaned forward and shrugged his arms out of the sleeves. “Anything you say.”

A glint lit her eyes, and her lips curved into a delicious smile. “You should always be so amenable.”

“I’m at your mercy.” He stared at her rosy lush mouth.

She laughed. Driven by an impulse he could not resist, Connor reached out a shaky finger and outlined the full, wide, laughing curse. Her mirth died away, and the pink tip of her tongue came out and touched his finger.

“You undo me, woman,” he said hoarsely, “with one little flick of your tongue.”

“Then what about this?” She trailed a tantalizing finger down his chest, across his stomach, before halting an inch above his belt.

“Tease,” he groaned.

“Your skin is so silken,” whispered Victoria.

His erection leapt. “That’s my line,” he growled, yanking her to him and bending his head forward to ravenously plant a row of kisses along the tempting arch of her throat. Under his lips he felt her throat contract as she gasped. His mouth opened, and he tongued the silky skin. His open mouth slid down, over the narrow slip of black satin that joined the cups of her bra covering her breasts … down farther … savoring the sweetness of her flesh.

Grasping her hips between his hands, he lifted her up and kissed the smooth skin of her belly.

“Connor!” The sound was guttural, full of need and desire.

“Be patient.” His erection strained again his pants, rigid with desperation. He wasn’t so sure that he was capable of following his own command.

She pulled away and settled back astride his lap.

Connor’s back arched instinctively at the contact. “My God, woman.”

He felt the buckle of his belt give under the persuasion of her nimble fingers. His heart skipped a beat as she undid the button below. The sound of his breathing filled the room, hoarse and jagged.